ACR offers the opportunity to host industry-supported symposia in conjunction with select ACR Professional Meetings.
Just a few of the reasons to host an industry-supported symposium at ACR Professional Meetings:
- ACR Professional Meetings provide organizers with an exceptional audience reach
- Other educational events are restricted during symposia times
- Symposia listings and registration links are included on the ACR website
- Receive a complimentary mailing list to market the symposium
- Opportunity to display signage and invitations near ACR registration area
- Receive an assigned space in contracted ACR hotel
Please note: ACR does not review, regulate, endorse, or support industry social events other than approved Industry-Supported Symposia during ACR professional meetings. The ACR strongly discourages large social events. A social event is a reception or dinner program in which education is presented and which is sponsored and financially supported by industry or a third party organizer. Space at an ACR-contracted hotel for non-ACR events will not be released for these events. With the exception of ACR reviewed industry-supported symposia, no industry or third party events may be promoted at the ACR-contracted meeting space/hotel. Any marketing materials for non-ACR events will be removed. Failure to comply with ACR guidelines may affect participation at future ACR meetings.
+ General Information
– General Information
Industry-supported symposia can be offered at the following ACR meetings:
Winter Rheumatology Symposium
- January 26 – February 1, 2013
State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium
- April 20 – 21, 2013
Complete information on available time slots and application process will be available in September.
These symposia may be either CME-accredited or non-CME, company directed programs.
All industry-supported symposia will be held at the headquarter hotel.
ACR Definitions
SPONSORING ORGANIZATION
The organization planning the CME content and providing the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION
The organization(s) providing funding for the program.
THIRD-PARTY ORGANIZATION
The organization responsible for the logistics, e.g., communications company, third-party planner, agency, etc.
Eligibility
The ACR is committed to ensuring the industry supported symposia offer a valuable educational experience for attendees. Therefore, all participants must meet the following qualifications:
- All information presented must be of professional and educational interest or benefit to the attendees and related to the field of rheumatology.
- Participants must agree to comply with the ACR rules and regulations governing the professional meeting series.
The acceptance of a company for participation does not constitute an endorsement by the ACR, the ARHP or the REF.
+ Proposal Elements
– Proposal Elements
The proposal must be completed no later than the deadlines specified. The ACR will review all applications and complete proposals and reserves the right to reject topics, formats, or materials deemed inappropriate. The ACR reserves the right to request a review of the slide presentations at any time.
Applicants will use an online form to submit their proposals.
The proposal should include the following elements:
- Type of symposia (CME-accredited or non-CME, company directed)
- Preferred date
- Name of the supporting organization (IRT member or other company) and a main contact
- Name of the sponsoring organization (CME provider, if CME-accredited) and a main contact
- Name of the third-party organization (medical communications company, if applicable) and a main contact
- Anticipated size of audience (this will help the ACR determine your room size, so accuracy matters)
- Logistical / room set preferences
- Title of program
- Physician (ACCME) accreditation statement, as applicable
- Credit designation statement, as applicable
- Learning objectives
- Needs assessment
- Program agenda – including:
- Title of each presentation within the program
- Length of each presentation within the program
- Confirmed speaker name for each presentation – please only provide the speaker's name, academic degree(s), institution, city and state
- Proof of Speaker Engagement
In order for the ACR to list speakers for your symposium in official listings on the ACR website and in the meeting syllabus, organizers must provide signed proof of speaker engagement. This may be in the form of an official speaker agreement or a signed letter of acknowledgement. Without signed proof of speaker consent, the speaker will not be included in official ACR listings or appear on promotional materials. The signed proof of speaker engagement must include the following information: symposia date, time, title, talk time(s) specific to speaker, on-site time requirements and supporting and sponsoring organizations. We recommend that you confirm whether they are participating in multiple symposia to prevent potential logistical conflicts.
- Proof of Grant Approval, as applicable
+ Organizer's Responsibilities and Requirements
– Organizer's Responsibilities and Requirements
Please review these guidelines carefully. Successful proposal applicants should plan to provide the following materials and abide by the following rules.
- All sponsoring, supporting and third-party organizations, agents and presenters must abide by all of ACR's policies.
- Supporting organizations are only permitted to host one symposium per meeting. Opportunities to host more than one symposium will be subject to space availability and the ACR’s discretion.
- ACR representatives may attend these activities for the purposes of observation.
- Marketing Materials: Supporting organizations must design, print and distribute separate invitations for their symposium. Each organization will be responsible for providing 100 invitations and one 22' w x 28' h publicity poster (mounted on foam core but unframed) to the ACR for display at the registration area on the day of the symposium. The brochures and publicity poster must be submitted to ACR for approval prior to printing. Shipping information will be provided upon approval.
- Space Requests: Supporting, sponsoring or third-party organizations must coordinate space needs with the ACR and assigned hotel contacts, and provide onsite management of the symposium.
- Expenses: Supporting, sponsoring or third-party organizations must accept financial responsibility for all aspects of the symposium, including audiovisual, catering and shipping expenses.
- Catering: Supporting, sponsoring or third-party organizations must arrange for appropriate catering, if applicable.
- Program Modifications: It is the responsibility of the applicant organization to develop and implement programs as they have outlined in their proposals. Any changes in content or faculty must be communicated to ACR in advance of the symposium and must receive ACR approval. The ACR has the right to deny any changes to the programs at any time. Changes made after the deadlines will not be reflected in the ACR's official listings.
- Speaker Restrictions: The policy of the ACR prevents board members of the ACR and the REF, as well as chairs of committees and subcommittees directly involved in CME programs, from participating in symposia held during an ACR Professional Meeting. Programs submitted that include an individual from one of the above groups will not be considered final.
- Expectations for Content: All symposia are expected to present fair and balanced information relating to the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. Unless the symposium is related to a novel product that represents a new class for which there are no comparison, all symposia should include a comparison with other similar or like class agents. Presentation of data that has not been publicly released (published or presented in a peer-reviewed format, except for a serious adverse event or significant complication which may be released in a press release) is prohibited. Exceptions to this policy will only be considered if the new, non-peer-reviewed data were to have a substantial public health benefit and is non-promotional. Requests must be submitted in writing to .
- Adherence to External Guidelines: It is the responsibility of ISS sponsors, supporters and third party organizations to comply with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, policies, practices and guidelines, and all other industry guidelines, including the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, concerning the discussion, demonstration, use and/or display of products, technologies and/or services during all symposia.
- Brand names: Medication brand names may be used in conjunction with the content of the company directed promotional programs, but must adhere to guidelines set forth as listed above in "Adherence to External Guidelines."
- Time Restrictions: See available time slots in General Information section; no symposia outside of these times are permitted. PLEASE NOTE: The duration of each symposium may not exceed three hours. The educational component of each symposium may not exceed two hours. Meals and receptions that are modest and conducive to discussion among faculty and attendees are acceptable. The amount of time dedicated to the meal or reception should clearly be subordinate to the amount of time spent at the educational activities of the symposium.
- Industry-Supported Symposia Registration: The supporting, sponsoring or third-party organization is responsible for registering all symposia attendees. The ACR registration located on-site does not provide an opportunity to register attendees. Therefore, registration instructions should be included in your organization's symposium invitations and materials.
- Educational Materials: Sponsoring organizations may produce educational materials based on the activities of the symposium. However, these materials may not be associated with or reference the ACR or its symposia. All materials are the domain of the program sponsor and should be identified as such. Giveaways associated with an industry-supported symposium will not be permitted.
- Evaluation Reports: Within 30 days of the industry-supported symposium, each organization must provide the ACR with a summary report of the attendee evaluations created in conformance with ACCME requirements, as applicable for CME symposia, and a list of attendees. In addition, the organization must provide the ACR with a copy of any tapes, slides, and/or syllabus material that were made available for distribution to attendees. Failure to comply with this request may result in the sponsoring and/or the supporting organization being ineligible to submit an application for an industry-supported symposium at future ACR meetings.
+ Symposia Marketing
– Symposia Marketing
All symposia invitations, announcements, and signage must reflect the professional tone of the ACR meeting and must be reviewed and approved by the ACR prior to printing. The ACR strongly recommends that materials not be printed prior to receiving approval.
Please allow 5 business days for processing from the time of the request.
Review the marketing and advertising opportunities for additional ways to promote your symposium.
Guidelines
The names, insignias, logos and acronyms of the ACR, the ARHP and the REF are proprietary marks. Use of the names in any fashion, by any entity, for any purpose, is prohibited without the written permission of the ACR.
The following disclaimer must be included on the front of each invitation, mailer, advertisement, and publicity sign, as well as on any website marketing the symposium:
For CME-Accredited Programs:
This symposium is sponsored by <name of sponsoring organization> and supported by a grant from .<name of supporting organization>. This is not an official program of the American College of Rheumatology."
For Non-CME Programs:
“This program is developed and offered by <name of supporting organization>. This is not an official program of the American College of Rheumatology”
In addition to the disclaimer, the ACR name can only be referenced once using the following language. On mailers, this reference cannot appear on external portions of the mailer (i.e. on the envelope, or on a postcard):
"This symposium will be conducted in conjunction with the 2013 ACR Winter Rheumatology Symposium/2013 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium."
The ACR name may not be referenced in any other manner on third-party mailers-including syllabi, reports, summaries, questionnaires, websites or any materials produced before, after, or during the meeting.
MAILING LABELS
Organizations will receive one complimentary set of membership mailing labels for one-time use for issuing invitations to industry-supported symposia.
Each set of labels is for one-time use by the organizer for issuing invitations to the symposium. Mailing labels are only sent to licensed and bonded mail houses. ACR may request documentation.
To request complimentary mailing labels, send the Mailing Label Request Form and a PDF sample of the proposed mailer to .
Complete information about mailing labels, including demographics and guidelines, can be found on the ACR website. For more information on regulations concerning the rental of mailing labels, contact , membership coordinator.
Symposia Sign Regulations
A limited number of publicity and directional signs for symposia are permitted in the hotel; however, the following parameters apply:
- ONE 22" w x 28" h poster must be provided to the ACR for placement near ACR registration.
- ONE 22" w x 28" h may be placed at the supporting organization's tabletop display (if applicable)
- TWO 22" w x 28" h may be placed on easels in front of the assigned meeting room 2 hours prior to the start of the symposium. No signs will be permitted outside this venue and no plasma screens are allowed.
- TWO 8.5"w x 11"h handheld directional signs are permitted in areas near the allocated symposium room 2 hours prior to the start of the symposium. Handheld signs may be used near an elevator or escalator to direct attendees to the appropriate floor.
Placement of signage must not interfere with other symposia. Signage that does not comply with these regulations will be removed.
Costumed staff or other nonprofessional images are not permitted.
+ Fees
– Fees
Complete information on fees will be available in September.
+ Questions?
– Questions?
For industry-supported symposia questions, please email or contact
Amy Kane
Specialist, Corporate Relations and Expositions
American College of Rheumatology
Phone: 404-633-3777 ext. 321
Fax: 404-633-1870
E-mail:
